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Mass. House representatives were split on TikTok bill

Of the five Massachusetts representatives who supported the bill, two were co-sponsors. Four representatives, including Rep. Ayanna Pressley, voted against the bill.

March 13, 2024

1 minute to read

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would ban TikTok if the China-based company doesn’t sell. The bill passed overwhelmingly, but Massachusetts representatives sat divided on the controversial measure.

Mass. Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Newton, along with Mass. Rep. Seth Moulton of Salem, were both co-sponsors of the bill — which says TikTok’s owner ByteDance is a foreign adversary controlled application.

“It’s a necessary element to taking on the greed of social media corporations,” Auchincloss told NewsNation. He said that while he doesn’t want TikTok’s algorithm to be controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, “it’s more about families, parents, and children versus the greed of big tech.”

Reps. Bill Keating, Stephen Lynch, and Lori Trahan all joined Auchincloss and Moulton as yes votes. The bill passed with an overwhelming 352 votes.

Supporters of the bill said the app is a national security threat, while others called the bill rushed.

Massachusetts Reps. Katherine Clark, Ayanna Pressley, Jim McGovern, and Richard Neal all voted against the bill. They were among 65 representatives who voted no.

Pressley said in a statement that legislators should pass more oversight measures for social media and technology companies but called the bill rushed.

“I also have serious concerns about the First Amendment implications of a ban on TikTok, which millions of Americans rely on to consume news, make a living, and build community with one another,” she said. More than 150 million Americans use TikTok, including entrepreneurs and small business owners.

McGovern echoed her sentiments on social media.

“Singling out one app isn’t the answer,” he wrote.

I'm voting no on the TikTok bill. Here's why:
1) It was rushed.
2) There's major free speech issues.
3) It would hurt small businesses.
4) America should be doing way more to protect data privacy & combatting misinformation online. Singling out one app isn't the answer.
— Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) March 13, 2024